Posted by Dr. Judy Palfrey, Executive Director of Let's Move on September 28, 2011
On September 19, for first time in history, world leaders met at the United Nations in a High Level Meeting called to begin addressing diabetes, heart disease and cancer on Global scale. One after another the Presidents, Prime Ministers, Health Ministers and other dignitaries stood in front of the UN symbol of peace pledged their resolve to address the root cause of many of these diseases -- overweight and obesity.
Over the weekend, First Lady Michelle Obama joined children and families at Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play to celebrate the success of the Million PALA Challenge, a joint initiative of Let’s Move! and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN).
Posted by Holly H. McPeak, Nutrition Advisor, HHS/OASH on September 26, 2011
In Lounge 201 on Capitol Hill, 19 Job Corps food service managers from Job Corps centers nationwide exercised their culinary creativity in a “Top Chef” food competition in support of Let’s Move! This event known as “Job Corps’ Top Chefs: Creating Healthy and Nutritious Food Services,” was the culmination of a three day summit, September 13- 15, 2011, held in Washington DC. It was hosted by the National Job Corps Association (NJCA) is held annually, with this year being the second conference.
Posted by Heidi Christensen, Associate Director for Community Engagement at the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on September 26, 2011
Ed. Note: Cross-posted from the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships blog.
Across the country, parish nurses are helping congregations walk in health towards a more active lifestyle. Parish nurses, or Faith Community Nurses, are health experts who work within specific congregations to provide the tools, resources, and support necessary to make healthy decisions and stay active. In their capacity as health counselors, advocates, educators, and providers of spiritual care, they are on the frontlines of congregational health, working with church members to address healing of the body, mind and spirit.
Posted by Audrey Rowe, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Administrator on September 26, 2011
Ed. Note: Cross-posted from the USDA blog.
In August I went back to school with students in Albany and Newton, Ga., to see how healthy school meals help students get their “S.W.A.G. on” and prepare for success.
In Albany, 400 Sherwood Acres Elementary Magnet School students celebrated school breakfast, many wearing S.W.A.G. t-shirts, which stands for “Students with Academic Greatness!”
Vanessa Hayes, Dougherty County Schools Director of Child Nutrition Services, explained, “We understand that good nutrition is the fuel for the educational vehicle.”
Posted by Will Shafroth, Councilor to Secretary Salazar for America’s Great Outdoors on September 22, 2011
First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative focuses on fighting childhood obesity and she encourages people of all ages to incorporate a little more physical activity into their daily routine, reminding us that recess is just as important for adults, since you are a role model for your child. Studies show that recess is crucial to healthy childhood development and that there is no reason to stop taking physically active breaks just because we can no longer hang from a jungle gym or play tag with classmates.
Posted by Jennifer Seymour, CDC Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity on September 22, 2011
On September 27, 2011, New Haven Public Schools and Whole Foods Markets will host a Celebration of Salad Bars to highlight New Haven’s leadership and commitment to healthier school meals. With the goal of increasing students’ consumption of dark green and yellow-orange vegetables, New Haven Public Schools is celebrating the start of the new school year with salad bars in 43 of its 47 schools. Almost all of New Haven’s 20,000 students will have access to a salad bar every day. New Haven Public Schools received their first two salad bars from Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, a comprehensive grassroots public health effort to mobilize and engage stakeholders at the local, state, and national level to support salad bars in schools,last fall and the success was immediate.
Posted by Dr. Judy Palfrey, Executive Director of Let's Move on September 20, 2011
First Lady Michelle Obama plays table tennis with a young participant in a Let's Move! event at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, New York, Sept. 9, 2011. Other participants include Serena Williams, John McEnroe, James Blake and Billie Jean King. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
On the sunniest of sunny days earlier this month at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Let's Move! was alive with action packed fun. The First Lady joined tennis greats Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, James Blake and Serena Williams in serving, lobbing and smashing tennis balls with children from the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program and the New York Junior Tennis League. The stars and First Lady kept up pretty well with the junior acers.
Posted by Dr. Judy Palfrey, Executive Director of Let's Move on September 19, 2011
In February of 2010, I had an experience that was the thrill of a lifetime. Standing with members of the President’s cabinet, Members of Congress, mayors from across the nation and leaders from the media, sports, entertainment, and business communities, I had the honor of representing the medical community at the launch of Let's Move! That day, the President signed a Presidential Memorandum creating the first ever Task Force on Childhood Obesity, and the First Lady explained how Let's Move! would reverse the trend of staggering increases in childhood obesity and restore our children's health within one generation.
Posted by Dominic Hawkins, Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior on September 19, 2011
A Bicycle. Such a simple invention from the 19th century. Now, nearly 200 years later, billions of people of all ages not only rely on a bicycle as a primary means of transportation, but as a fun and easy way to exercise in America’s Great Outdoors.
A Youth Activity ProgramTrips for Kids is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to that cause. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area with chapters across the United States, Canada and Israel, its mission is to provide mountain bike outings, job trainings, health and environmental education to youths. Over 79,000 youths have participated in this program since being founded in 1988 by Marilyn Price.
Ed. Note: Cross-posted from the WhiteHouse.gov blog.
As part of the Let's Move! initiative, yesterday morning First Lady Michelle Obama joined Partnership for a Healthier America, Red Lobster, Olive Garden and other family chains owned by Darden Restaurants to announce a commitment from Darden to reduce calories and sodium in their meals and to provide healthier options in their kids’ menus.
Posted by Kevin Discepolo, Secretary’s Fellow for Youth in the Great Outdoors at the Department of the Interior on September 15, 2011
Athletics provide many opportunities for youth across the country, like the chance to be physically active, as well as a group of friends with a common interest, but it is coaches who decide what type of athlete these kids will be. I do not mean whether they will be All-Americans or bench players. Rather, will they understand the values of a strong work ethic, good sportsmanship, or the power of teamwork?
